Lomwe language

{{Short description|Language}}

{{distinguish|Ngulu language{{!}}Ngulu language (Tanzania)}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Lomwe

|nativename={{lang|ngl|Elomwe}}

|altname=Western Makhuwa

|states=Malawi, Mozambique

|minority={{flag|Malawi}}

|speakers=2,520,000

|date=2017

|ref=e26

|familycolor=Niger-Congo

|fam2=Atlantic–Congo

|fam3=Volta-Congo

|fam4=Benue–Congo

|fam5=Bantoid

|fam6=Southern Bantoid

|fam7=Bantu

|fam8=Southern Bantu

|fam9=Makua

|dia1=Lomwe

|dia2=Ngulu (Mihavane)

|iso3=ngl

|glotto=lomw1241

|glottorefname=Mozambique Lomwe

|guthrie=P.32–33

}}

The Lomwe (Lowe) language, Elomwe, also known as Western Makua, is the Bantu language of Mozambique. It belongs with Makua in the group of distinctive Bantu languages in the northern part of the country.{{cite book |title=Relatório do I Seminário sobre a Padronização da Ortografia de Línguas Moçambicanas |publisher=NELIMO |location=Maputo |year=1989 |oclc=25676262 |lang=pt}}

Apart from the regional variations found within the Makhuwa proper, the Lomwe uses ch where tt appears in the Makhuwa orthography: for instance the Makhuwa mirette ("remedy") corresponds to the Lomwe mirecce, the Makhuwa murrutthu ("dead body") to the Lomwe miruchu, the Makhuwa otthapa ("joy") to the Lomwe ochapa.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

Unusual among Bantu languages is the infinitive of the verb with o- instead of the typically Bantu ku- prefix: omala (eMakhuwa) is "to finish", omeeela (also an eMakhuwa form) is "to share out".

A mutually unintelligible form containing elements of Malawian Lomwe, is spoken in Malawi. Maho (2009) separates out Ngulu (Mihavane) as a separate language, close to Malawi Lomwe.